The importance of the development of kinetic modeling tools to mechanistically understand and design bulk and solution reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization is highlighted. Both deterministic and stochastic kinetic modeling methods are covered, considering a detailed reaction scheme and accounting for the impact of diffusional limitations on the reaction rates. A novel strategy is introduced to fundamentally calculate the diffusional contributions for the apparent RAFT addition and fragmentation rate coefficients. Next to literature examples, case studies are included to demonstrate that detailed theoretical studies are indispensable to completely map the effect of the polymerization conditions and RAFT agent reactivity on the control over microstructural properties and the overall polymerization time. Guidelines for future kinetic modeling activities are formulated to enhance joined theoretical and experimental research.

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Ab-initio-calculated rate coefficients for addition and fragmentation in reversible-addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of styrene with 2-cyano-2-propyl dodecyl trithiocarbonate initiated by azobisisobutyronitrile allow the reliable simulation of the experimentally observed conversion, number average chain length, and dispersity. The rate coefficient for addition of a macroradical R to the macroRAFT agent R X at 333 K (6.8 10 L mol s ) is significantly lower than to the initial RAFT agent R X (3.2 10 L mol s ), mainly due to a difference in activation energy (15.4 vs 3.0 kJ mol ), which causes the dispersity to spike in the beginning of the polymerization.

A detailed kinetic model for isothermal bulk free-radical and degenerative reversible addition−fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerizations of vinyl acetate is presented up to monomer conversions of ca. 0.95, considering a distinction between head and tail end-chain radicals and primary and tertiary mid-chain radicals (MCRs). Diffusional limitations are taken into account for conventional initiation and termination, with a reduction of the gel-effect as chain transfer to the monomer lowers the apparent termination reactivities. The tail radicals are essential for the accurate description of backbiting and RAFT deactivation and the primary MCRs for chain transfer to the polymer. The model is based on the application of the method of moments with over 100 macrospecies types and thousands of reactions to obtain the temporal evolution of the monomer conversion, the number and mass average chain length, the number fraction of short-and long-chain branches, the number fraction of unsaturated chains, and the number fraction of chains with head-to-head defects. After a successful model validation of the experimental literature data, the model is applied to understand the complex interplay of the radical types involved and to highlight the control of the branching and unsaturation amounts under RAFT polymerization conditions. Headto-head defects can however not be avoided for realistic average chain lengths.